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Re: Why did you decide to nurse past a year?

Originally Posted by @llli*mommal

After a year, you can lead the way and actively eliminate nursing sessions- generally, as long as your LO is eating a decent solid food diet and is nursing 3-5 times a day her nutritional needs are being met. Or you can let the baby lead the way, in which case the demand level will still go down as the baby naturally and gradually transitions to a majority solid food diet and becomes less and less interested in nursing. I prefer the latter approach because it's easier, but it can be a lot slower than the mother-led approach. For example, my first LO was still nursing around 10-12 times per day at a year old, and she didn't go down to 3-5 sessions per day until after she turned 2. (She really, really loved "pupple.")

As for the "again? didn't you just feed her?" folks- just go and ask "would you rather listen to her cry? And why are you so interested in what I do with my breasts?"

Re: Why did you decide to nurse past a year?

nothing magical happens on day 365... it's not like they go to sleep on day 364 needing breastmilk and wake up on day 365 not needing breastmilk, ya know?

This is the thinking that kept me nursing. Once I got to 1 year I looked down at my son nursing and couldn't imagine making the decision for him. He still needed it. It still comforted him. So we kept nursing until HE decided he was done.

I'm Colleen
Mama to
Silas born May 2009 ~ Nursed 18 mos, weaned during pregnancy, unweaned at 24 months, still nursing when he feels like it
Lola born March 2011 ~ The Mary Lou Retton of toddler nursing
Married to Brandon
Using cloth on both bums